Hooked by Les Edgerton

“Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs the Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go.”

I bought a new book yesterday from Dymocks and began reading it late last night. The writing is so wonderfully relaxed with just the right tone of professional insight and friendliness that I’m already in love with this book. I’m only half way through chapter two but I may have finished reading if I hadn’t fallen asleep, exhausted, just after midnight, mid page.

Les Edgerton is writer-in-residence at the University of Toledo and has authored short stories, articles, essays, screenplays, and novels. His writing voice is rich with a delightful southern twang that adds to the charm of “Hooked”. His tone is encouraging and confidence-inspiring. He really believes that if you want to write a book you can, and if you learn how to start with a bang you’ll continue with a book worth reading.

Hooked focuses on showing writers how to develop your books best beginning.

“Agents and editors agree: Improper story beginnings are the single biggest barrier to publication. Why? If a novel or short story has a bad beginning, then no one will keep reading. It’s just that simple.” – Les Edgerton

As a former editor Les has experience with what editors look for when they’re deciding if they’ll pursue a particular submission. He recognises the many flags that will have a manuscript scratched in the first line, the first paragraph, the first page. He shows writers the dos and the do nots of the opening scene and explains, more importantly, why.

Les shares his insights into story structure and the changes in what editors and readers expect from literature into modern writing. This specialised topic and fresh outlook, blended with enjoyable and fluid writing, makes it easy to turn the page and keep turning the pages of Hooked. I guess that’s a great sign that Les knows what he’s talking about.

I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this book and am also keen to get my hands on his other writing guide, “Finding Your Voice”.

“The writers who succeed are those who develop a unique and distinctive voice, one that sets them apart from the crowd. Inside, Les Edgerton shows writers how to find that elusive "voice" without years of struggle." – Les Edgerton

Both “Hooked” and “Finding Your Voice” sound like ideal additions to my writing tool chest.

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